caesar Custom Odyssey

Transcription

1 Join us on a 9 day cycling odyssey from Como to Venice. Starting on the picturesque Lake Como we ride across Northern Italy to the Serenissima Venice. Along the way we climb the iconic Stelvio, traverse the limestone massifs of the Dolomites and enjoy Italy at its finest. DURATION: SEPTEMBER 2019 (DATES TO BE CONFIRMED) Our Espresso Grading System: /bike-tour-gradings-difficulties/ COMO TO VENICE caesar Custom Odyssey

2 OUR ROUTE COMO TO VENICE 667km 414mi AUSTRIA 11,451m 37,569ft SWITZERLAND Bolzano DURATION: 9 Days 8 Nights Bormio Trentino Alto Adige Arabba Belluno Teglio ITALY REGIONS: Lombardy, Trentino, Alto Adige, Veneto COMO Lombardy ITALY Treviso Veneto VENICE

3 OVERVIEW COMO TO VENICE, ITALY From Como we head east through the picturesque regions of Lombardy and Trentino before turning north towards the mighty Dolomites. Bolzano serves as our springboard into this stunning mountain range where we will take in a number of the classic Sella Ronda passes. We then descend from Alto Adige and into Veneto on our way to the Serenissima, the most serene, Venice. HIGHLIGHTS Take on the mighty Stelvio Pass, Europe s 2nd highest paved road. Visit the iceman Otzi in the lovely town of Bolzano. Marvel at the limestone peaks of the Dolomites. Descend down to the inimitable city of Venice. Savour the produce of some of Italy s finest regional cuisine. Ride through the tunnels of the unique San Boldo pass. Sample the fine nebbiolo wines of the Valtellina. Explore the home of Pinarello Treviso.

4 OVERVIEW COMO TO VENICE, ITALY WHAT S INCLUDED 8 nights of accommodation at handpicked hotels. Two experienced guides to provide local knowledge, support, and camaraderie. Daily route support with both guides and our support van. Daily breakfast, 6 lunches and 7 dinners. 2 social hours of drinks and hors d oeuvres. Daily extra loop options for those wanting extra riding. Snacks and drinks for each day s ride. Custom Ride and Seek kit from MEM. Ride and Seek water bottles to keep. Garmin Touring Plus computers for navigation. Detailed daily map sheets. All gratuities for drivers, local experts and hospitality staff. All luggage transfers and transportation during your trip. Entrance fees for all activities, private tours and events.

5 EXPEDITION NOTES DAY BY DAY As we descend through Italy we will tell of Caesar s life post the Gallic Wars. This period of history changed the course of Rome forever. After Caesar s success at Alesia the Gallic Wars were effectively over and Roman control of Gaul was not seriously challenged again until the second century AD. Caesar was a hero in Rome but should he be viewed as one? According to ancient sources Caesar defeated three million Gauls. Supposedly, one million died while another million were enslaved. On top of this the Romans destroyed over 800 cities and eradicated 300 tribes. These numbers are suspect, ancient commanders exaggerate their conquests for propaganda purposes, but if true could this be labelled genocide? DAY 1 - COMO WARM UP Our tour starts in Como with lunch and an opportunity to run you through the dynamics of the tour and answer any queries you might have. From here we ll either help you build your own bike or get you fitted on to one of ours before heading out on a warm up ride. There are a few warm up options, from riding up to the Madonna di Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists, to spinning around Lake Como. As a gateway, Como provides us with a lovely start to our tour. DAY 2 - COMO TO TEGLIO 124km 78mi 1701m 5581ft After our relaxing lakeside sejour we leave Como and head north towards the spectacular Valtellina region. For the first part of the ride we skirt alongside the western edge of Lake Como which is the quieter side in terms of traffic. When we reach the top of the lake we head into the Tellina valley towards the town of Teglio where we will spend the night. The first part of the ride is relatively tranquil but the accumulated elevation gain and the climb at the end of the day reminds us that we are heading into the hills.

6 DAY BY DAY EXPEDITION NOTES The First Triumvirate (formed 59 BCE) was an unofficial political alliance known as an Amitica between three prominent Roman politicians (triumvirs) which included Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus. All politically powerful men, their alliance in effect gave them complete control of Rome. The First Triumvirate lasted until 53 BCE when Crassus was killed in Parthia. Caesar and Pompey remained strained allies but after Caesar s successes in Gaul, and with political intrigue turning Pompey away from Caesar, cracks were showing very soon after Crassus death. DAY 3 - TEGLIO TO BORMIO 51km 32mi 1128m 3701ft DAY 4 - BORMIO TO BOLZANO 130km 81mi 2045m 6709ft Let the climbing begin! Today we take on one of the most iconic climbs in cycling Passo dello Stelvio. At 2757 metres it is the second highest paved mountain pass in the Alps and a regular feature in the Giro d Italia. Whilst we stay in Italy throughout we actually get to within 200 metres of the Swiss border at the pass. After lunch we stay on the Adige valley floor and avoid the surrounding elevation. We cycle on a combination of pristine bike paths and farm roads as we meander our way through the abundant apple orchards for which the Val Venosta is so well known. Our destination is the region s capital Bolzano, home to the Iceman Ötzi, who lived some 5000 years ago. With a big week of climbing ahead, today allows us to warm our legs with a shorter ride. Our destination today is Bormio which sits at the foot of behemoth, Passo dello Stelvio. Bormio has thrived since Roman times due to its thermal springs and position as the last town before the great passes of the Alps. We will enjoy this respite, as travellers have done for 1000 s of years, before our climbing test tomorrow.

7 DAY BY DAY EXPEDITION NOTES Pompey the Great, without Caesar, may have been Rome s greatest general. However, he is always destined to play second fiddle to Caesar. Pompey was an exceptional commander. He ended uprisings in Spain, took credit for defeating the forces of Spartacus, rid Rome of the Pirate menace. He invaded Pontus in Asia Minor and ended the long worn Mithridatic wars, took control of Syria and captured Jerusalem. He made a political alliance with Julius Caesar and even married his daughter but eventually he would fight Caesar in what would be known as the Great Roman Civil War. DAY 5 - BOLZANO TO ARABBA 78km 48mi 2751m 9026ft What today s ride lacks in distance it more than makes up for in elevation gain. Leaving the lovely town of Bolzano we continue to ride east into an area that feels more Germanic than Italian. The elevation profile might not look too daunting but the y-axis reveals all. Today is a spectacular riding day as we stay away from the major trunk roads and immerse ourselves in the splendour of the Dolomites. We finish our ride climbing up Passo Pardoi to Arabba where our Alpine chalet awaits. DAY 6 - ARABBA TO BELLUNO 105km 65mi 2330m 7644ft Finally a day which is more about descending than ascending (this is relative!), albeit with plenty of climbing in the first half of the ride as we continue to meander our way through the stunning limestone peaks of this famed mountain range. Leaving Arabba we head south towards the Bellunese Dolomiti National Park and ride from the South Tyrol to the more Italian region of Veneto. Today we experience the Dolomites in all their splendour with sweeping views and great cycling roads. Our destination is a converted Bishop s residence on the outskirts of Belluno that dates back to 1675.

8 EXPEDITION NOTES DAY BY DAY Caesar the hero. Pompey, Caesar s former ally had now openly turned against him joining with a Senate who feared Caesar s popularity and power with the army. The Senate demanded Caesar give up his army knowing that Caesar hoped to be consul again post Gaul and therefore had to return to Rome to run for the consulship. Caesar knew if he did this they would arrest him. In December 50 BCE Caesar wrote to the Senate that he would give up his army if Pompey would give up his. The Senate heard the letter with fury and demanded that Caesar disband his army at once or be declared an enemy of the people DAY 7 - BELLUNO TO TREVISO 105km 65mi 1287m 4222ft The Dolomites have been scaled and today is an opportunity to give your weary legs a break, at least that is after a series of climbs outside of Belluno have been conquered. Our elevation profile shows a series of climbs in the first 35km before we ride down into the Po valley. Also known as the Pianura Padana this area spans from Turin to Venice and is both the industrial heart and breadbasket of Italy. The traffic will increase as we come out of the mountains but this is an area where cycling is part of the cultural fabric. DAY 8 - TREVISO TO VENICE 73km 45mi 209m 686ft Our destination is La Serinissima, otherwise known as Venice, an amazing place to finish our custom odyssey. As we ride out of Treviso our legs will thank us as today s riding is all flat, a welcome respite emphasised by an elevation profile that maxes out at 18 metres. We skirt north, avoiding the worst of the traffic to ride onto the Venice Lido. The Lido is an amazing place to experience Venice and our final meal is a culinary Venetian masterpiece

9 DAY BY DAY EXPEDITION NOTES An interlude from both the Roman Civil Wars and our epic bicycle adventure. Venice is possibly our greatest resting point on any of our tours (although some would argue for St Petersburg on the Napoleon tour). Venice came into existence as Rome fell in the 5th century AD. As the Goths descended on Rome local people across Italy fled looking for safety. The Venetian lagoons offered this and it was around 450 AD that large numbers of people decided to settle permanently in the lagoon. Further incursions by invaders such as Atilla the Hun only reinforced the need for this remote existence. For 1400 years Venice survived in isolation, thriving due to the 3km of shallow waters which protect it from the mainland. DAY 9 - VENICE, DEPARTURE DAY This is a great place to end our tour after the exertions of the last week. Our hotel is situated on the Venice Lido which plays host to the glamorous film festival and is far enough away from the hustle and bustle to provide a relaxing stay, yet a mere vaporetto (water taxi) ride to St Mark s Square. For anyone flying out of San Marco airport the connections via water taxi are easy although we recommend staying on for a couple of days to explore Venice before heading on.

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